LITTLE BLACK BOOK: 69 COLEBROOKE ROW

Cocktail alchemy in Islington

Much like another who goes by the numerical moniker 007, The Bar With No Name at 69 Colebrooke Row is a super-smooth operator.

On the walk from Angel tube station up the backstreet, keep your eyes peeled for a martini sign hanging by the 1920s-style speakeasys door. Locate the bijoux drinking den and you will be in for a treat of an evening  dimly-lit and the size of a postage stamp, its perfect for a date, or an intimate catch-up with a cocktail connoisseur. Small  yes; but certainly not lacking atmosphere, with a sprinkling of live jazz music to entertain your ears.

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If you manage to wangle a coveted seat at the bar youll be ringside for all the mixing action as the talented staff  aptly dressed in a cross between a laboratory coat and a sharp blazer  conjure up bespoke creations depending on your personal taste. There are only 30 seats in total, so its a wise idea to plan ahead and book a table.

The menu itself boasts top-notch seasonal salutations: we opted for a variety (all a reasonable £9), including the delicious Death in Venice  a bold blend of Campari with grapefruit bitters, topped with Prosecco and an orange twist  and the Barbershop Fizz, whose fabulously fresh ingredients (pine-infused Beefeater gin, birch and vanilla syrup, patchouli-infused mint, lime juice, topped with soda) combined to make every sip worth lingering over. Another standout was the innovative Flamenco  perfectly balanced tastes of a Sugar cube soaked with paprika bitter, manzanilla sherry, topped with champagne.

Final word: for unique cocktails executed with flair and a grown-up ambience to boot, 69 Colebrooke Row will leave you shaken and stirred

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